New EEA briefing on impact on children from transport noise

More than one out of five Europeans are exposed to harmful long-term noise from road, rail and air transport. Published in December, European Environment Agency’s (EEA) briefing shows that this noise exposure leads to over half a million children suffering from impaired reading ability and almost 60,000 having behavioural difficulties in Europe. Over 500,000 … Continue reading New EEA briefing on impact on children from transport noise →

New EEA briefing on monitoring water quality in Europe

Concerns about PFAS pollution have increased in many European countries but comprehensive monitoring data are often limited. Published recently, the European Environment Agency’s (EEA) assessment shows that most monitored rivers, transitional and coastal waters and a large part of lakes in Europe are polluted with at least one of the many extremely persistent chemical compounds … Continue reading New EEA briefing on monitoring water quality in Europe →

New EEA assessment on Europe’s air quality health impact

Just under 240,000 deaths per year in the European Union can be attributed to exposure to fine particulate matter, a key air pollutant, according to the latest European Environment Agency (EEA) air quality health impact assessment published this week as the new EU rules enter into force. The latest data also confirm, yet again, that … Continue reading New EEA assessment on Europe’s air quality health impact →

New briefings from the EEA on the status of the circular economy in Europe and highlighting the need for improving recycling quality

Europe has set ambitious goals to create a competitive circular economy that can be key in supporting innovation, decarbonisation and security. The transition is also needed to halt biodiversity loss and wasteful use of natural resources. Published this week, two briefings from the European Environment Agency show the status of circular economy and highlight the … Continue reading New briefings from the EEA on the status of the circular economy in Europe and highlighting the need for improving recycling quality →

Europe’s building sector off track: social, economic and climate targets at risk

The third edition of the EU Buildings Climate Tracker published this week by the Buildings Performance Institute Europe (BPIE) confirms that the EU is missing opportunities to increase energy security and reduce heating costs. It is definitely not on track to achieve its climate targets. Progress on decarbonisation has stalled, with the gap more than … Continue reading Europe’s building sector off track: social, economic and climate targets at risk →

Europe has an opportunity to leverage AI to optimise its energy systems to ensure a more sustainable approach to using its limited resources

Data centres already consume 2% of the world’s electricity demand. It expects this share to grow to 7% by 2030. In an article on the Euractiv website, Christoph Schwaiger discusses how the European Commission is preparing technical specifications for a study to develop a measurement framework for the energy efficiency of general-purpose AI models. Importantly, … Continue reading Europe has an opportunity to leverage AI to optimise its energy systems to ensure a more sustainable approach to using its limited resources →

New EEA briefing on first state of play on national surveillance for heat-related health impacts

Collecting timely and reliable data on the number of deaths and illnesses associated with heat are vital to deploy targeted emergency responses during heatwaves. Twenty of the European Environment Agency’s (EEA) 38 member and cooperating countries currently monitor heat impacts on health, according to an EEA briefing published this week. Impacts of heat on … Continue reading New EEA briefing on first state of play on national surveillance for heat-related health impacts →

“The EIB has integrated the energy efficiency first principle into its Energy Lending Policy”

In 2023, the European Investment Bank provided more than €21.3 billion for energy-related projects, of which €8.3 billion was for energy efficiency, jumping from €2.1 billion in 2014 – but the energy-efficiency gap remains challenging. Christoph Schwaiger writes on the Euractiv website how the EIB is taking lending in energy efficiency seriously. EIB sees … Continue reading “The EIB has integrated the energy efficiency first principle into its Energy Lending Policy” →

New EEA briefing on placement of offshore wind turbines with consideration of impacts on marine ecosystems

Increased use of wind turbines in coastal zones to provide Europe with renewable energy is a crucial element in decarbonising Europe’s economy and in meeting its climate and energy targets. The placement of these turbines should also carefully consider potential impacts on marine ecosystems, according to a European Environment Agency (EEA) briefing published this week. … Continue reading New EEA briefing on placement of offshore wind turbines with consideration of impacts on marine ecosystems →

New EEA report on reducing chronic respiratory disease in Europe

Chronic respiratory disease is one of the leading causes of death in Europe, and more than a third of these deaths are estimated to be caused by environmental factors that are preventable. According to a European Environment Agency (EEA) report, published this week, key interventions include reducing pollution, energy poverty, and occupational exposures. Tackling … Continue reading New EEA report on reducing chronic respiratory disease in Europe →